Our countdown of the best WSL games of the 2019/20 season rolls on with a trip to the Etihad Stadium for the first WSL Manchester Derby.
After the Women’s Super League was declared over, we at Her Football Hub have been counting down the top 10 games from the WSL season.
At number seven is Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United from September 7.
History is Made
About 31,000 people packed into the Etihad Stadium to watch the first WSL iteration of the Manchester Derby.
Almost 30 times more than when City last played at the Etihad Stadium. They only garnered a crowd of 1,500 in 2014 in a Continental Cup effort against Everton.
Embed from Getty ImagesManchester United’s maiden season in the Women’s Super League faced an early roadblock with a gargantuan clash against their cross-town rivals.
The game was a tense affair and it was much more even than many thought it would be.
Former Man City player Jane Ross went close to giving the visitors the lead early on. A fantastic save from a 19-year-old Ellie Roebuck denied the Scot.
A Moment of Brilliance
As is often the case in huge games, it took one moment of pure unrivaled class to seal the victory for Manchester City.
Caroline Weir controlled a Katie Zelem clearance, took a few touches and then launched a rocket of a shot into the top right corner.
“Caroline Weir can be world-class offensively, she sees things that people don’t see,” Man City manager Nick Cushing said. “She needs to show that on matchdays. She has done that today.”
Mary Earps was reaching but couldn’t come anywhere near the perfectly placed shot.
United didn’t go down without a fight. They nearly got back into things through Leah Galton. Galton burst into the box down the left-hand side, straight past Aoife Mannion but Ellie Roebuck was once again up to the task.
Embed from Getty ImagesEven the introduction of Lauren James moving into the last 10 minutes wasn’t enough to get United back into the game.
Manchester United were left to rue their missed chances as they fell to their biggest rivals.
“They’re the fine margins at this level,” Casey Stoney said. “If you don’t take your chances you always leave the opposition in the game.”
Watch highlights from the game here or visit the FA Player to watch the game in full.
Our top 10 list so far:
10. Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal, October 13, 2019.
9. Manchester United 0-1 Bristol City, January 5, 2020.
8. West Ham 3-2 Manchester United, December 1, 2019.
7. Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United, September 7, 2019.
